Contents

Get in

By plane

Hefei Luogang Airport (IATA: HEF) is an international airport with regular flights to/from most main cities. The airport itself is quite old and a new one is currently under construction in another part of the city.

The airport is located about 12km from the center of town. A taxi to Municipal Square will cost about 20-25RMB. There is no bus that runs direct from the airport to the city center. You can take bus 11, but you will need to get off and connect with another bus along the way. Chinese buses can be packed, so if you are carrying bags, it is best to catch a taxi.

By train

There is high speed (D train) rail between Shanghai and Hefei.

By bus

Get around

Taxis: Green, blue or orange These taxis are metered and start at 6 RMB and there is an additional 2 RMB fuel surcharge added to the final fare.

Taxis: Black Black taxis are also properly signed and metered and are usually a more comfortable and newer car. The fare for these taxis starts at 8 RMB and there is a 1 RMB fuel surcharge added to the final fare.

Unmarked taxis There are other unmarked cars (usually black Santanas) that may offer to give you a ride. You often see these kind of illegal taxis around the railway station, airport, or in the outskirts. These are unmetered and the price is negotiated beforehand. The fare will always be higher than usual. If you don't know Hefei well, the fare will be significantly higher. There is also the risk of taking a car that is not insured to carry you and having an unidentifiable driver. Saying that, there are times when legit taxis are very scarce, and if you really need to be somewhere, it might be an option.

Legally, every taxi must have the driver's picture and licence number displayed in a plastic plate affixed to the dashboard. If you have any major problems with a taxi driver, discretely write down this number if you need to make a complaint and ask for a fa piao (receipt) at the end of your journey. Avoid getting into arguments with drivers if possible.

Around the city area in Hefei, you can reasonably expect to pay between 10-20RMB.

In Hefei, a driver might occasionally try to pick up an extra passenger and carry them with you. ie pooling. They sometimes try this on foreigners who don't know how to object. Make it known if you don't want this to happen. Chances are the other person has negotiated to pay a lower fare and is riding on your back.

Motorbikes You can also jump on the back of a motorbike if taxis are scarce. There are plenty of motorbikes and they usually congregate on the corners of busy intersections. They are not legal, but are generally tolerated. They are unmetered and you negotiate a price beforehand.

tuk-tuks (ma zi da) These are now banned in the city center areas. However, a little further out you might find them (particularly around the long-distance bus stations. Avoid taking them. Because of the amount of construction that goes on in Hefei, there are a lot of heavy trucks flying around the streets and mazidas are too slow and dangerous. In the townside or countryside, this mode of transport is certainly more common.

Public Buses This is the dominant mode of public transport in Hefei. The central hub is in Municipal Square. A single bus fare to anywhere costs 1RMB for an un-airconditioned bus or 2RMB for airconditioned. All bus routes, schedules, and announcements are in Chinese. But don't let this put you off. An excellent way to navigate the Hefei bus system is to use Google Maps app. on your mobile phone. Using the "Get Directions" function, you can search bus routes, find bus numbers/stops in Engilsh and pinyin. The results are very accurate. Beware that in peak hours buses are absolutely crammed to the limit. There is no such thing as a "full" Hefei bus; the driver will alway take more people on.

Subway At present, Hefei has no subway system. However, it is currently under construction.

See

Hefei isn't known as a tourist destination, but if you are using it as a stop-off point there are some pleasant places to see. In particular, Hefei has many fine parks and gardens.

Chao lake (巢湖 Cháo Hú). This is the great lakes of China. Sights on or around the lake include Lao Shan in the middle and Zhongmiao Temple on the northern bank. There are also some natural springs. Catch bus at 合肥汽车站 (Hefei Bus station) at 明光路168号Míngguāng lù 168 hào.

Dà wéi Township (大圩乡 Outskirts of Hefei City). Go there to pick seasonal produce yourself from the farms or go fishing. Very comfortable in Spring. Catch bus 14 from Municipal square to 包河花园 Bāo hé huāyuán (35mins), then change to bus 23 or get a taxi to Dà wéi township. A taxi direct from Hefei will cost maybe 40-50 RMB.

Daishan lake (岱山湖 Dàishān hú) 岱山湖旅游度假区肥东县 Daishan Lake tourist resort, Feidong county. Somewhere to go if you have a driver and want to get out into the countryside. There are some minor attractions there incl. 4 wheel buggies, skirmish, and a buddhist temple with large statue on the lake. www.dslake.com

Dashu mountain (大蜀山 Dàshǔ shān) 20 mins by taxi or catch any bus that goes to the end of Changjiang Road (长江路)or Huangshan Road (黄山路) The view across Hefei is great on a clear day and there is a TV tower at the top. It can get crowded on days when the weather is nice. The walk up to the top of the mountain takes about 30 minutes.

Emerald Lake scenic area (翡翠湖风景区 Fěicuì hú) 开发区大学城内 Development zone University City. Hire tandem bikes and pedal around the lake. Good place to have a picnic or read a book. Few people and quiet.

Lord Bao Park (包公园; Bāo​gōng​yuán)​ The park is free, the attractions can be accessed for a through ticket of ¥50, you can also buy individual tickets for each attraction for ¥5-35 This a combination of a very pleasant park with tea houses, gardens, a lake, a tower and of course the restored underground tomb of Lord Bao himself as well as the tombs of his family. The park is worth walking through.

Temple Market (合肥城隍庙 Héféi chénghuángmiào) 庐阳区合肥霍邱路99号 Luyang Rd. A bustling market + temple area where you can buy everyday items. Known for cheap products. UPDATE 14 Jun. Temple Market is being renovated. Still worth visiting but a lot of the sellers have been cleared out for the renos.

Three Kingdoms Ruins Park (三国新城遗址公园 Héféi sānguó xīnchéng yízhǐ gōngyuán) 庐阳区 Luyang district. North of the Botanical Gardens and a fair way out. Take bus 114 to Botanic Gardens then change to bus 300. 25 kuai entry. There are some minor pavilions etc there, and the trees are very picturesque in Spring. www.hfssg.gov.cn/DocHtml/2009/4/23/7167966546.html

Zi Peng mountain (紫蓬山 Zǐ péng shān) 肥西县 Feixi county. A forest park with some walking tracks. There is a large buddhist temple at the top of the mountain and multi-storey Buddhist statues carved into the side of the mountain. Best to have a driver/take a local. Stop somewhere to try 肥西老母鸡 Féixi lǎo mǔjī (famous Feixi old hen) for lunch. About 30-45 mins drive from Hefei. www.zps.gov.cn

Do

Walk around the Temple Market (合肥城隍庙 Chénghuángmiào). Be careful of your belongings in this area. Always try to bargain.

KTV (Karaoke TV) Going to KTV at least once is an essential part of experiencing China. Many of the bigger, flashier places have a larger selection of English songs. Best to go with some Chinese friends/colleagues so you can see how it's done.

Climb Dashu Mountain on a clear day in the afternoon. At the foot of the mountain is Snow Villa (雪霁山庄 Xuě jì shānzhuāng). Have dinner in a tradtional Anhui setting and watch a local Hui opera show. There is usually one show every evening. Call for show times ph: 5165777, 5388587.

Have free tea and tea snacks at Ten Fu teahouse These are nice stores on Huayuan St (花园路) and near the corner of Mengcheng and Shouchun lu (across from the main gate of Xinghua Park). You will be presented with some tea sets etc. but there is no pressure to buy.

Take a picnic to Emerald Lake scenic area (翡翠湖风景区 Fěicuì hú). A good place to escape the bustle of the city and ride bicycles around the lake.

Ferris wheel at Xinghua park Costs 10RMB/person and you can get a good birds-eye view. Early in the morning you can also see observe people practising Tai Chi in groups. At other times of the day you might see older people singing traditional songs or playing er'hu or flute in pavilions. In summer, the park is filled with people flying kites.

Have a massage There are a few well-known places (incl. Laohu massage) along Hupo Ave. in Hǔpò shānzhuāng (琥珀山庄) area. 40RMB/hour.

Drive duck boats around the lake at Bao Gong park or Xinghua park. Costs about 30RMB/half an hour.

Watch dancing in the square Go in the evening to Municipal Square (市政府广场 Shì zhèngfǔ guǎngchǎng)

or the square outside the main gate of Xinghua Park to see mass numbers of people (mainly older women) dancing.

Buy

Temple Market (合肥城隍庙 Chénghuángmiào). A bustling market area with sellers peddling low end household goods and knicknacks. Always bargain. NOTE: As at Jul.2012, this area is under renovation. So the number of sellers has diminished, but still worth a look.

Wanda Plaza (合肥万达广场 Wàndá guǎngchǎng). A very large shopping mall + cinema complex. Has Starbucks, movie cinemas, and a variety of restaurants on the top level. The mall is very new. 包河区马鞍山路与芜湖路交叉口(Ma On shan lu) hf.wanda.cn

Yintai Center (合肥银泰购物中心 Héféi Yíntài gòuwù zhòngxīn). Another very large shopping mall with restaurants on top level. This mall has a huge range of designer stores, from high-end to mid-range. As at Jul.2012, the mall is very new. No cinemas. 长江中游路98号 Chángjiāng zhōngyóu lù 98 hào (98 Changjiang middle road) ahyt.intime.com.cn

Baida CBD Mall (百大CBD购物中心 Bǎidà CBD gòuwù zhòngxīn). Comprises one large, multi-level department store. There is also a Habitat Coffee lounge in the center that has a very nice atmosphere. No restaurants or cinema. 庐阳区长江中路150号CBD中央广场 (Chángjiāng lù 150 hào) www.hfbdjt.com/cbd/index.asp

Guo Gou Plaza (合肥国购广场 Guo Gou guǎngchǎng). A large shopping mall + cinema complex. Has a number of restaurants on the top level (but not as much variety as Wanda) + movie cinema. The center contains a very large Carrefour supermarket/dept. store. This is one of the older malls in Hefei. 长江路199号 Chángjiāng lù 199 hào (Changjiang West Road)

Hefei Bai Shui Ba (合肥白水坝 Bái shuǐbà). A medium-sized mall mainly based around one large TESCO supermarket. The center has quite a few clothing stores and restaurants, incl. Thai and Korean. In warmer months, sellers set up a small night market in the square outside. 蒙城北路 MengCheng bei lu.

合肥步行街 Héféi bùxíngjiē (Hefei’s main pedestrian street). Includes Gu Lou, a well-known, high-quality department store on the Suzhou lu end of the mall. Also includes a Parkson department store and a Starbucks. Many clothing retailers. A cinema complex is near the temple. After 9pm, street sellers peddle goods and the pedestrian street is transformed into a night market.

Huizhan Center (会展中心) Has a market of locally produced Chinese products, including painting, wooden sculptors and furniture, jade and tea pots. This is a fairly tourist free zone so expect to be able to get deals you might not be able to get in bigger cities.

Eat

Local specialties include:

Crayfish (小龙虾 xiǎo lóngxiā). This is Hefei's signature food. The longxia are boiled and then eaten with dipping sauces, usually vinegary or spicy. One pound (一斤 yijin) of longxia is now around RMB50. Longxia are known as a spicy food and are typically eaten outside with beer. Chinese are often selective about where they buy longxia because longxia needs to be cleaned and cooked thoroughly.

Restaurants

Drink

Bitburger: Hefei’s first German bar and one of the first establishments in the city to serve imported draught beer – German, of course. With its helpful staff, spacious layout, mellow ambience and a decent selection of bar snacks and East-West fusion food, Bitburger is a popular destination for the more discerning tourist or business visitor. German-brand draught beers start at around 45 RMB. Imported wine store sells red and white wine at medium to top range prices (100 – 500 RMB).

Location: 258-6 Wuhu Road

Soho Bar: Top range sports bar located in The Hilton Hotel. Showing live sports on a multitude of widescreen TVs and with its athletic-themed staff, Soho Bar is the best place in town to watch EPL football, rugby and whichever international sports events you care to imagine. Due to the plethora of TVs available, staff are quite happy to let you take over the remote control to find the game or event of your choice. Draught Tiger beer is chugged out for about 45 RMB.

Location: 198 Shengli Road

Knight Bar (骑士酒吧 Qíshì jiǔbā). This is a popular hangout for foreigners and Chinese alike. Full range of spirits. One of the cheapest places for beers in Hefei. Live band most nights, pool tables, climbing wall. Formerly called Revolutionary bar. The entrance is down a small alley almost directly opposite the west gate of USTC university. (对方的道路) 中国科技大学, 西大门 金寨路96号

Food Street or Eating Street, Hu Po Shan Zhang. Street is lined with restaurants and vendors selling "BBQ", large bottles of warm Snow Beer, and everything else imaginable. Street is blocked of to cars, and filled with tables. Very cheap.

Novotel Hefei (合肥诺富特齐云山庄), 199 Wuhu Road, [3]. >A 4 star hotel in the centre of Hefei, ideal for a business trip to this important centre for science and technology.

Westin Hotel, 150 Ma'an shan Road, ☎+86-551-298-9888"", [4]. checkin: 15:00; checkout: 12:00. Westin is the best hotel by stars - 6 star hotel - in Hefei. The price is relatively high but very nice service. Because of the spending, only recommended for business trips.